(SA) shelter for giants

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Tuesday August 28, 2007-The Star

 

Shelter for giants

 

By SHARMILA NAIR

 

Rescued elephants get the best of care in a sanctuary in South Africa.

 

IT HAS been almost two decades since the Convention on International

Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) banned international shipment of

ivory, yet the African elephants have not found themselves off the

endangered list.

 

Brought into action in 1989 after more than half of African elephants

had been slaughtered for their tusks, Cites is still unable to

completely protect the animals from illegal hunting.

 

 

Complex: Andrew Banda showing off various parts of an African bull

elephant skull.

Almost 23,000 elephants are poached every year to support the ivory

trade. This revelation sparks the need for more conservation

programmes that ensure the survival of the 450,000 pachyderms

currently left in Africa.

 

One such shelter is the Elephant Sanctuary in Hartbeespoort, South

Africa. Opened in 2000, the sanctuary is now home to four orphaned

African elephants Timba, Mvuso, Khumba and Mosadi.

 

" It is fortunate that these animals were rescued from uncompromising

situations, " said Andrew Banda, the sanctuary's chief guide.

 

Sixteen-year-old Khumba and 18-year-old Mosadi were on their way to

China to perform in a circus when the South African government

intervened and rescued the animals. They have lived at the sanctuary

since its establishment.

 

Timba, seven, was brought in from Botswana while 11-year-old Mvuso was

transferred from the nearby Kruger National Park.

 

At the sanctuary, the elephants receive the best of care, food and

most importantly, protection. They sleep in stables protected by iron

grills that require at least three grown men to operate.

 

" But of course, it's nothing to Timba, who manages to open it by

himself. We have a hard time keeping that naughty one in check, " said

Banda with affection.

 

Each morning, the elephants are lined for their usual brush-downs

where the guides use special brushes to comb down the elephants'

unruly hair. This is also the time when the guides check the elephants

for signs of illnesses or injuries. Every fortnight, a veterinarian

drops in to do a full check-up on the mammals to keep track of their

health.

 

When breakfast comes, the elephants are fed with shoots and fruits

such as apples and bananas. There's an unlimited flow of water for the

elephants to drink from, as the huge mammals need 190 litres of water

every day. When the weather permits, the elephants are taken to a

nearby river for a quick swim and cleaning session.

 

 

Guardians: At the Elephant Sanctuary in Hartbeespoort, South Africa.

Sparks always fly between the younger elephants, so the older ones

have to stay close to keep an eye on them.

" We also give the elephants food pellets, made of vegetables and other

edible products, but we try not to overfeed them with that as it

upsets their tummy when they've had too much, " said Banda.

 

Apart from taking care of the creatures already in their custody, the

sanctuary officers also track down displaced wild elephants in nearby

areas, before they are caught by poachers.

 

" Often, we try to bring the animals into our sanctuary but if this

proves impossible, we work things out with other conservatories and

have them take responsibility of the animals, " said Banda.

 

Open to the public, the sanctuary provides an opportunity for humans

to get close with the majestic animals and learn more about their

current predicaments. Though the creatures seem like gentle giants,

Banda is quick to warn: " It's wrong to think that these animals have

been domesticated because they're still, and always will be, wild at

heart. They are unpredictable and cautionary measures are taken when

we deal with them. "

 

Though labelled wild, the elephants have formed a bond with their

guides and have learned to listen to instructions. " We've been able to

bring out the gentle qualities in them through our specially

formulated reward system, " explained Banda.

 

The elephants are not forced to learn tricks such as kicking a ball or

standing on their hind legs. Instead, they are trained to perform

movements that come naturally to them, like lifting up their legs for

sole-inspection, opening their mouths and lying on the ground, among

many others.

 

" The difference is that now they are able to do it on command, " added

Banda, who said that the elephants receive food pellets or fruits as

reward for their good behaviours.

 

He also stressed that the elephants are never forced to do tricks that

they are uncomfortable with. For example, the older elephants are

never instructed to lie on the ground because it would be difficult

for them to get back on their feet.

 

No punishment is handed out to the elephants if they do not perform

the trick because, as Banda said, " the sanctuary is not a circus. "

 

Banda feels that the 194ha sanctuary is too small for four big and

growing elephants, as they need a large amount of habitat because of

their eating habits.

 

" The lack of space is also one reason why most elephants find their

way into human territories, exposing themselves to danger, " explained

Banda.

 

He added that some countries (South Africa included) have established

culling programs where park officials or hunters kill a predetermined

number of elephants to keep herds manageable and minimise

human-elephant conflicts.

 

To contain the elephants' need to roam free, the guides take the four

mammals for a daily walk at a nearby forest reserve. There, the

elephants get to wander for three to four hours looking for food and

getting a good exercise.

 

The sanctuary does not have the option of releasing the elephants into

the wild because they have come to rely on humans to provide them with

food and would expect the same when out in the wild. They would then

seek out human presence by entering villages and such, in the hope of

getting a meal.

 

" But of course people wouldn't understand that. They'll think that the

elephants are attacking and will simply kill them, " said Banda who's

worried by people's lack of knowledge on elephants.

 

" Elephants will be safe when humans come to respect them as living

beings and that time I believe is coming soon, " he said.